Rogers acquires Halifax telecom firm Internetworking Atlantic

Bruce MacDougall, who is the founder of Internetworking Atlantic, becomes a senior operations director for Rogers in Atlantic Canada with the sale of his company to Rogers. (THE CHRONICLE HERALD / File)

Rogers Communications has gobbled up a Halifax telecommunications company.

The acquisition of Internetworking Atlantic Inc. was announced Tuesday. The deal includes the 14-year-old firm’s Halifax data centre, fibre-optic network and all 25 employees.

The purchase price wasn’t disclosed.

Ken Marshall, Atlantic president of Rogers, said the deal allows the national telecom to expand its business-related offerings in the region. The transaction, which closed Monday night, also gives existing Internetworking Atlantic customers access to services available through a coast-to-coast network, he said.

“The enterprise business space is an area of national growth focus for the company,” Marshall said in an interview from St. John’s, N.L. “And in the region, we feel that we can really step up Rogers’ presence.”

The Toronto-based company is best known in Atlantic Canada as a cable and wireless provider in New Brunswick and Newfoundland and Labrador. The national telecom and media giant also has wireless customers in Nova Scotia.

Rogers Communications has over 1,500 employees and 20 offices in the region. The majority of workers are based at a Moncton call centre.

Internetworking Atlantic, founded in 2002, will continue to operate locally under its existing management team.

The Sackville Street data centre becomes Rogers’ 16 such operation across the country and first in this region.